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It's been a while since we posted an update about Internet security, but that's not because the bad guys haven't been busy. Rather, they have been so busy it's about all we would post if we did keep up.

Just in the last week or two we have seen several new warnings and reports. Apple and Adobe have told us to uninstall QuickTime for Windows since it is vulnerable and they have given up trying to fix it. Flash continues to have issues, making it risky to even have it installed on your systems or in your browsers despite the rich content it delivers. The Google Play store has been beset with malware in Android apps even after the store was supposedly cleaned up. And the annual Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report informs us that not only are the cyber-criminals way ahead of the rest of us, they don't even have to pull any new tricks from their sleeves. The old ones are doing just fine, thank you very much. Even the US government is getting in on the act giving Apple a heads up about vulnerabilities in IOS that need fixing. Of cours in typical government fashion, they waited a year after Apple fixed the issue to let them know they found it and were almost certainly exploiting it on citizens before then (it's not paranoia if someone really is out to get you). And don't forget about ransomware and CEO impersonation schemes which have claimed thousands of victims and billions of dollars. The latter are becoming particularly nasty with the FBI claiming a 270% increase and $2.3bn stolen in the last year.

As we have said before, Hackers Never Sleep. As these issues continue to pile up, your first and best line of defense is still you.

Security Tips

Don't open email attachments from an unknown source.

Don't visit a suspicious link or a website that seens not quite right.

Think twice before purchasing that new technology for your home that is connected to the Internet - If you can control it remotely, so can a bad guy.

Do your updates as soon as they come out.

Double check verbally with the boss before sending money or private data overseas based on an email request.

The pace of change of cybercrime is fast, creating new security issues all the time, but even the old scams are still working. You can have little confidence that your spam filter or security systems will see to your security. Take care of it it yourself and you have a better chance of avoiding problems.